Iomega HDD 20GB

Fitting a new hard disk is simple enough but you need to know one end of a screwdriver from the other, you need to poke around inside your PC and you must venture into the uncharted waters of the Bios.

An external hard disk is a far less trying solution. Admittedly they cost more than internal drives of the same capacity but they are fitted in seconds and can follow you from computer to computer. The real question is which one to buy.

Now that Iomega has entered the fray, that problem becomes a little easier to solve. It's already made a name for itself with its Zip and Jaz products, and its recent Peerless drive showed the world that it could manage removeable hard disks too. However, at £300 a pop, the 20GB Peerless isn't an affordable solution for all. At £189, the HDD 20GB may be.

If you have seen a Peerless, the HDD 20Gb will look familiar. It looks just like a Peerless cartridge laid flat; in other words, a slab of plastic slightly smaller than a paperback but about as thick. A second, smaller, slab clips to one end and this provides sockets for power and the PC connection.

Iomega may bill the HDD as a 'portable' hard disk but the need for a separate power supply with the USB2 version adds to the paraphernalia you need to carry. If you want a true plug-and-go drive, wait for the FireWire model due later in the year.

That said, getting the USB2 HDD up and running is a doddle. No drivers are needed for Windows XP but, being USB2, you need a USB2 port to make use of it.

The drive can be used with standard USB but it will be much slower in operation. In performance terms, you probably won't notice much difference between the drive in USB2 mode and your internal hard disk.

We copied 100MB of MP3 files in seven seconds and successfully played two videos and an MP3 file simultaneously from the drive. USB performance is less impressive, copying 100MB of MP3s in just over two minutes, but it's still useable at a pinch.

Price: £189 (inc. VAT)

Contact: Iomega 020 7365 9527
www.iomega.com

Also consider: Iomega Peerless
A simple but costly removable storage device. £299 - Worth it.

See also:

Plextor Plexwriter 24/10/40U

An external CD-RW drive with a reassuring two-year warranty.  16 Jul 2002

Iomega CD-RW USB 2.0

If you need fast external storage, this is a nice piece of kit.  24 Jun 2002

Iomega Peerless

Convenient, flexible, portable storage.  16 Aug 2001

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